Red String
by Imaginary Raine
Summary: Theirs is a story that have spanned a thousand years. He would search for her, and she would wait for him. Because no matter how long it took, they would find each other. It was their fate. Soulmate fic. Kol/Bella
1. Chapter 1

This fic is a gift for **Motoko The Red Queen**. One I promised to hera _really_ long time ago, so you have her to thank for it. And, anyway, seeing as it is a romantic fic (or at least I hope it is), I decided it will also double as a St. Valentine's post. Yay!

Currently, this fic has only two chapters. I'm still deciding if I'll expand it, but I make no promises. Why? Because I confirmed something I've always known about myself: I suck at writing romances. Plain and simple. So y'all who can write romances and do it beautifully, you have my sincerest respect and admiration. It's fucking _hard_!

As always, no beta.

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 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and The Vampire Diaries belong to their respective owners.

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 ** _Chapter 1_**

 ** _Him_**

Kol remembered the time when he was human and he would trace the words engraved on his arm. At the time, he still didn't understand what was written. He only understood their significance. And he also understood the consequences of having those strange letters inked on his skin – what they would, one day, bring to his life. Soulmate, twin flame, one true love... the title hadn't mattered to him then. It still didn't matter to him now. No, what did matter was that, written on his arm, was the name of the one person who he was destined to – who would accept him, flaws and all, and make him complete.

It was his best kept secret. Even though the appearance of a name was considered a blessing from the gods, to be celebrated for days on end, he had never felt the need to let anyone know. Not his father, the abusive asshole; not his mother, because, for some reason, he was never truly able to trust her; and certainly not his siblings, who went on and on about the importance of family and how they would stay together 'always and forever', but would turn on him in the blink of an eye and, instead of talking about it like the adults they were supposed to be, lock him in a box.

No, his family would not be told.

There had only been one person who had discovered about it; a witch, one of his many lovers through the centuries. Theirs had been an interesting relationship, full of lust and hate. No love. If there had been any, from his part, it had been for the rush of the magic being practiced so close to him; from hers, it had been the love for the knowledge he could supply. Other than that, she loved to hate him. He was unnatural in her eyes, an abomination. He had delighted in taunting her, dangling bits and pieces of spells he knew she would never be strong enough to cast. Not that she had known that. To her, Kol had just been offering her incomplete forms of powerful spells.

And despite all the hate she held toward him, she still hadn't been able to resist his charms and good looks.

Their dynamic changed the day she saw the letters inked on his skin. He had been careless and, as consequence, she caught the sight of black on his otherwise unmarred skin. "What's this?" She asked, taking a hold of his arm.

Kol tensed and held back the growl that wanted to come out. "None of your business," he snapped. He tried to pull his arm back, using just enough force for her to let go without causing any injury. But her hold was firm and she only tightened it in response. He considered breaking her arm. Before the thought had finished forming in his head, he felt a delicate finger tracing the letters. Kol went rigid. None of his muscles moved. He didn't even breathe. He had never felt so furious in his life.

"Isabella Marie Swan." He barely heard her through the blood rushing through his ears. _How dare she?_ Kol turned to the witch with murder in his eyes. The only thing that stayed his hand was the look she was sending him, a mix of disbelief and awe. There wasn't even a speck of fear for the rage she had sparked. "How?" The disbelief won and she shook her head. "This shouldn't be possible. You're unnatural!"

"And yet I've had this since I was human," he stated in a clipped tone. He was not used to holding himself back. As such, he could feel the veins beneath his eyes protruding and his fangs elongating.

She had apparently drawn the right conclusions, because she stood there, gaping at him, completely ignoring his shifting visage. "But that would mean that you were predestined to become a vampire!" Came the horrified discovery.

"It would, wouldn't it?" He was entirely unsympathetic to her breakdown. As it was, it was taking all he had to not end her misery.

He had already finished dressing and was making his way to the door. If he stayed, he would surely end up murdering her. His escape was interrupted when she spoke again. "You will find her." He stopped, but didn't turn. "It will take a few centuries yet," at this, he looked over his shoulder, "but she'll be worth it. Every pain and every joy... everything your siblings put you through." He held back a scoff. He already knew that. Any and every path he took would inevitably lead him to her. To _his Isabella_. Still, her words did wonders in calming him. They were also reassuring and made him wonder what she had seen when she traced the letters. "I'll help you." At this, he fully turned to face her, surprised.

"Why?" He couldn't help but ask. The nature of their relationship was not the kind that would have her volunteering her aid. Besides, even though he had calmed down and wouldn't be spilling any blood for the moment, he was still angry, which only server to further his suspicion and paranoia.

But the witch was stubborn, he knew that, and had, apparently, decided to do it, if the way she tilted her chin was an indication. "Yours is a gift from the gods, one to be cherished. Who am I to go against them?"

"Even though I'm unnatural?" He threw his words back at her. She faltered then, at a loss of words. After a few moments of silence, where he pondered if he should just go, she opened her mouth.

"I think," she started, but quickly shut her mouth again, as if unsure of what she was about to say. Her caramel eyes locked with his and he raised an eyebrow. At his silent urge, she plowed ahead. "I think that we witches have let our pride rule us. Our ancestors, from whom we draw our powers and whose rules we follow, were humans just like us." Kol also knew that. He had been a warlock, after all. "We go around saying we serve nature and yet... yet, every time something doesn't go our way, we throw hissy fits. We are the first to point fingers, but, when you think about it, we're the ones at fault. Vampires, werewolves... it's _our_ fault." She started slowly, hesitantly, but, as her speech progressed, she became more impassioned, her hands going every which way, emphasizing her words. It was as if those were words she constantly thought about, but had never had the courage to utter. (Though Kol had to raise another brow at the werewolves bit. He didn't know a witch was responsible for it, which, in hindsight, was kind of stupid of him. Witches, for all their talk, loved to make others miserable) "The gods created the very nature we serve, so it's only natural to think we serve the gods. If they decided you were worth it, who am I to say otherwise?

"No," she shook her head. "My family will help keep a look out for her through the years. If any of us find anything, we'll find a way to contact you," she stated. Kol was bewildered, confused, _flummoxed_. He hadn't expected _this_ to happen when the witch had discovered Isabella's name. _Huh?_ "And we'll keep an eye on her until you can be by her side."

He was suddenly filled with gratefulness towards this brash, foul-tempered, _wonderful_ woman.

 _"_ _Thank you_ _."_ Until that day, more sincere words had never left his lips, and he doubted they would until he found his mate. Fortunately, she seemed to understand, for she sent a smile his way. All of a sudden, he was in front of her, her hands grasped between his. "If you or your family ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. If it is in my power to help you, I will." She stared at him, wide-eyed, with wonder starting to fill those caramel orbs. Normally, he wouldn't make this kind of promises, but what she offered to do for him – and without asking for anything in return – was not something he could just brush off.

"I-I..."

He smiled at that. "Goodbye, Angelina, and thank you," he deposited a kiss on her forehead and left.

_._._

The centuries passed by (incredibly fast, in his opinion. But then again, his siblings _were_ quite fond of locking him in that god forsaken coffin) and still his mate had not been found. He sometimes feared he would never really find her, not with the way the others interfered with his life as if they had any right to. And really, could that lot be any more hypocritical? It was okay to dagger him when he was out of control, but it wasn't okay for him to think a dagger that could neutralize Klaus? That fucker could be as much of a psychotic maniac as Kol himself could. _But no, no one touched poor, little Niklaus_ , he mentally sneered.

Kol knew he was embittered; he was quite aware of that, in fact. But then, he rationalized with himself, who wouldn't be, with such a shitty family? Their mother had just tried to kill them, with Finn playing the sacrificial lamb, and he had never been included in the 'Always and forever' promise. No, that was just for the Golden Trio. And the less he thought about his father, the better. His family was a house of cards that – more often than not – he couldn't wait to see collapsing.

Now, with all the drama involving his mother over with, he could focus. He had no plans of remaining in Mystic Falls whatsoever, and he had a mate to search. With those thoughts in mind, he closed his eyes, turned his focus inward and tried to search for anything. He didn't really know if it was going to work, but he rationalized that something must have changed, for he had been dreaming of a girl since he had been undaggered. A brown-haired, brown-eyed little thing.

So he searched, ignoring the linking spell and going a little deeper inside himself. He was utterly surprised when it _worked_. There was a tenuous link pointing somewhere. Something he had never felt before. He opened his eyes, completely astonished, in time to see a piece of paper appear in a burst of fire. He caught and unfolded it.

 _Isabella Marie Swan_

 _September 13, 1987_

 _Forks, Washington_

Kol sucked in a breath. This was information on his mate, delivered from a witch. More than that, it told him that the little girl he had been dreaming about was _his Isabella_. With his heart thundering inside his chest, he quickly picked the phone Klaus had given him and called the number he just noticed written on the verso.

 _"Hello."_

"Hello, poppet. I just received your message," he said to the feminine voice that answered him. There was a sharp inhale on the other side, followed by a murmur of 'Oh my god'.

 _"Kol Mikaelson?"_ It was it him or there was a fuck ton of hope laced through that voice?

"That would be me. And who am I talking to?"

 _"My name's Angela Weber. I'm a descendant of Angelina,"_ the now identified Angela informed him. _"I'm also Bella's best friend."_

Kol closed his eyes. This—this was so much more than he had expected. This was confirmation that the gods hadn't really forsaken him. Intellectually, he had known this to be true, but his faith – more importantly, his _hope_ – had taken a severe beating down after centuries of unfruitful searches, looking for someone without ever being able to find her and was starting to fade. This was reality, his Isabella was _real_.

"Where—?" He started but was unable to finish his sentence. He was still too exhilarated to form coherent thoughts. Thankfully, his intention came across and Angela's response was forthcoming.

" _Can you come to Seattle?"_

Kol blinked, trying to bring some sort of coherence to his mind. _Seattle? Isn't that on the other side of the country?_ No surprise, then, that he couldn't pinpoint Isabella's exact location, just the direction he was supposed to go. Still, he was thankful they were in the same country. It would have sucked if she was on the other side of the globe. Not that it would have deterred him. One should be thankful for small mercies, though.

Other thing that bugged him was that, from what he remembered, Angelina's line had settled in Chicago, so what the hell was her descendent doing in bloody Seattle? Not that he was complaining, the greater the distance between that particular line and his siblings, the better. His relationship with the Giglio line may have started with him teasing Angelina, but it had turned to fondness when the entirety of the family fell in step with Angelina once she had told them of his blessing, every witch and warlock doing their best to help him throughout the centuries.

And so, as a thank you, Kol had never hesitated to teach them what he knew of magic whenever they had asked; nor had he tried to ruin them with Dark Magic (like he had done to so many witches), though he had known they had known he possessed such knowledge. One did not try to off their hybrid brother without gaining some dubious learning. To his utter surprise, some had come to him asking to learn. "We have to cover all our bases," they had told him, which had made him even more enthusiastic in his teachings.

"Sure. I'll take the first flight out of here," he answered her, for once thankful that both Elijah and Klaus had taken some time to set an account for him and teach him how to use a debit card.

" _Great! Once you have it, text me the flight info so I can get you."_

"Will do. Thanks."

She laughed. _"No problem. See you."_

Kol said his goodbyes and hung up.

He spent a few more minutes seated against the trunk of a tree that surrounded a clearing, his unseeing eyes staring ahead as he thought about how to proceed. He wouldn't tell his siblings where he was going, that was a given. He didn't want any of them near Isabella. He thanked whatever god out there they were on opposite sides of the country, even if he would prefer to put an ocean between them. Hmm... he would have to discuss this with her in the future. Maybe he would take her to see the world.

Anyway, it was late now so, with any luck, the others would already be asleep, which would make it easier for him to pack some clothes and essentials and hightail out of there. If they weren't, then he would just have to wait until they went to bed before leaving. After that, he would just have to compel someone to take him to the closest airport. It wasn't one of his best thought plans, but it would do.

With that thought in mind, he made his way to his brother's mansion.

_._._

When Kol landed, it was already late afternoon and he was starving. In his hurry to get out of Mystic Falls, he hadn't fed, and spending more than seven hours inside a flying tin can filled with his food of choice didn't do anything to alleviate his bad humor. Luckily, it wasn't that difficult for him to spot Angela; she had to be amongst the tallest people he knew. She was also quite easy on the eyes with her light brown hair and caramel eyes. Those eyes... For one moment, it was almost like looking at Angelina again. He made his way to her and saw her lowering the sign that had his name written on it.

"Hello, poppet," he said, stopping in front of her and extending his hand.

"Hello, Mr. Mikaelson. I must say, you look much better than the draws I've seen," she told him, accepting his hand. Kol brought hers to his lip and watched as a blush blossomed on her cheeks.

"Kol." He let her hand go. "I didn't know there were any draws of me."

She shrugged. "It was so we knew what you look like."

He nodded and they made their way outside. They reached her car and he put his bags in the trunk before turning to her. "Before we get going, I have to feed."

She frowned at him, and Kol imagined she was just like any other witch who disapproved of his kind. "Can it wait until we reach the town?" She inquired, surprising him. He raised an eyebrow in askance, and she signaled the area around them. "Cameras, Kol. There are people observing what's happening in the airport. It wouldn't be wise to draw attention to your existence, right?"

Kol blinked, letting his brain process the information. So there were unseen observers around and they would grow suspicious if he were to approach someone and lure them to a desert area; a security measure. He ran a hand through his hair. From the way she had said it, those cameras were common knowledge, something he _should_ be aware of.

Once again he felt anger filling him over how much Klaus had fucked his life. It was followed by bitterness because, while he couldn't count on Finn (drowning in depression as he had been for that first hundred years he had been awake), he should have been able to count, if not on Elijah, who was oldest after Finn and the more responsible of them all, then on Rebekah, who was closest to his age. Fuck, if Klaus had been able to get his head out of his ass, then he would have seen that he was not the only one who had lost something to their parents; Mikael's pride and Esther's compliance may have robbed Klaus of his wolf, but they had also robbed Kol of his magic. But no one seemed to remember that. Nope, Elijah and Rebekah were all about catering their _Úlfheðinn_ * brother's every whim, and Finn was out of commission.

He lowered his hand and nodded, watching her getting into the car before following her with a sigh.

They stayed silent for a few moments before Angela broke it. "Am I to assume that you spent the last few years daggered?" The tone of her voice told him she already knew it to be true. He knew, without looking, she was staring straight ahead at the road, afraid to upset him.

He sighed again and tore his eyes away from the scenery outside the window to look at her. Just as he thought, her eyes were peeled to the road. "The last century, in fact," he answered her. "But you already knew it." Kol was rewarded by her sending a glance his way before returning her eyes to the path. She was frowning heavily.

"My mother tried to contact you once she first came in contact with Bella, some twenty years ago," she informed him. "Her name was just too much of a coincidence for mom not to try and, at least, bring it to your attention. She suspected something was afoot when she couldn't send you a message. Years later, we were told why," she sent him a sardonic smile.

Kol froze for a few seconds. With an ease born from practice, he pushed aside his ire toward the Golden Trio for the years lost and focused on the curiosity he felt, letting it fill him until he relaxed against his seat. "Is it so?" He asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Mhm," she nodded her head. "So... Bella." She paused and tilted her head. Kol didn't even try to pretend that the subject didn't interest him. "She was born on September 13, 1987 to Charles Swan and Renée Dwyer née Higginbotham. When she was three months old, her parents divorced and Renée took her to California. When she was six, they moved to Phoenix and Bella stayed there until she turned seventeen, when she went back to Forks."

Kol snorted at the name of the city. He had read the name on the paper the witch had sent him, but he hadn't paid attention to it. He found it impossible to ignore now. Really, who had the bright idea to name a city after _cutlery_? What was next, Spoons, Knives?

Angela sighed, but there was a hint of humor in her eyes. "I know, I know. Ridiculous name. _Anyway_ ," despite the tone of her voice, there was a smile pulling at her lips, "Bella went to Forks to live with her dad when she was seventeen. We met the following day, her first day at Forks High." The smile turned into a grin that formed wrinkles around her eyes. It was clear that they were close friends. _Best friends_ , he reminded himself, thinking on the previous day's phone call.

She kept talking about how they became tentative friends at first, both being too shy and prone to silence. Their friendship solidified when Bella confronted Angela about being a witch. It also helped that they had some shared interests, like books, witchcraft and, because her little brothers were such terrible influence on them, video games and music.

"Aren't _you_ supposed to be the bad influence in their lives?" She burst into peals of laughter and shook her head. Well, he had to admit that she didn't look like the type who would lead little brothers astray. He let her recover her composure before she could cause an accident that would prove fatal to herself. Once she calmed down, he decided to ask her the question that had been nagging at him since she reminded him of the best friend status. "Why are you telling me this?" Being close to Isabella would mean that the little witch's loyalty would be hers, not his, no matter how many previous generations had helped him.

She shrugged. "Why not?" When all he did was raise an eyebrow, she sighed, all mirth draining from her. "Two reasons, really," she informed him. "One: Bella asked me too." He raised an eyebrow at that. "Said it would only be fair, seeing as she had been having visions of you since she was twelve years old."

Kol frowned. How could she had been having visions of him when he had been daggered? Unless... "She's been having _dreams_ of me."

Kol was ecstatic. She had dreamt about him when she hadn't even known who he was. Dreams, while not common, were not exactly rare, and were a clear indication of the dreamer possessing a significant other, a _destined_ other. Isabella would have dreamt not only of his life, but about the two of them, _together_. Like he had been doing lately.

But alongside his elation, there was also a smidgen of fear. He was afraid he would lose his mate before he even met her, that she would be appaled by all the carnage he left behind. Kol pushed it aside; Isabella was the only one who would always accept him, no matter what.

Angela chanced a glance at him, clearly surprised at his assumption, but nodded either way. "We're not certain about the details, but, given the circumstances, the only theory that we were able to come up with and that made sense was that she was having them so she could understand."

"Understand?" He couldn't hide his surprise. Didn't Angela understand the significance of those dreams? Had the lore been lost?

"You have to comprehend, Kol, that your reputation is not the best." No, it was, actually, amongst the worst. "Two races of vampires, thousands of you out there, and the only ones that can come close to the piles of corpses you left behind are your half-brother and your father. Not even the White King came close to the amount of blood you all spilled, and he is three times your age."

The White King, Caius di Volturi, responsible for the almost eradication of the werewolves inside of the European continent, the most cruel of the three rulers. _Of course he didn't come even close_ , Kol mentally sneered. _How could he when he expends all his time inside his castle playing court._

"You don't have to worry," she told him after a while. He turned his head to look at her (he had been previously watching the people go by in the busy city). "I wouldn't have come get you if she didn't want to meet you."

"Right," he drawled. "Best friends trump family promise."

She, at least, had the decency to blush.

Kol smirked. Well, if Isabella was really having dreams of him, he wasn't going to complain. She would at least have a hint as to why he did half the shit he did. "So what is reason number two?"

Angela sighed, which Kol took as a hint that something was not right. She ran a hand through her hair while the other tapped the wheel as she waited for the light to turn green. "Cold ones."

He furrowed his brows. Cold ones? What the fuck was a _cold one_? She must have read his confusion, for she answered his unasked question.

"'Cold one' is how the tribes refer to the other race."

The Indian tribes, natives of the land and blessed by the spirits. Some of them possessed the title of protectors, for the spirits gave some members the ability to protect their people from anything that presented themselves as threat. These warriors would, more often than not, live for as long as it took to defeat their enemies. He had once heard rumors of a bear shifter who had been close to three hundred years old when Kol was last awake.

He couldn't have held the snarl that formed in his throat even if he wanted to. Just the thought of one of those things close to his mate was enough to send him into a frenzy. "Explain."

"It ties with the story I was telling you." Her voice trembled slightly. Her knuckles had gone white due to her tight grip on the wheel and she stared ahead, but Kol was past the point of caring. "As I was saying, Bella and I met in Forks High School. It was there that she attracted the attention of a coven."

His mind went in overdrive. It was obvious that both Angela and Isabella saw the coven as a threat. That wouldn't do. But before any plan of action could be formed, he would need more information. "How many?"

"Seven. Three of them are gifted: a seer, an empath and a mind reader." She glanced at him. "Their gifts don't work fully on her. The visions of her are fuzzy at best, the empath can feel her emotions but can only influence them when they're touching, and her mind is completely silent."

"When they're _touching_?!" He could feel the veins under his eyes protruding and his fangs elongating. "And how do you know it?"

She took a deep breath before she parked the car, unfastened her seat belt and exited the vehicle. Kol looked around him. They were in front of a little cafe. Had they arrived at their destination? He exited the car and caught up with her.

"You said you had to feed, right? Go. I'll be waiting here," she told him, and he stared at her. She was stalling. He spent the next few moments observing her; she was wriggling her hands and she would look everywhere but him. He wouldn't like what she had to tell him, and she was making sure he wouldn't make her his next meal.

"I'll be right back, poppet," he said and saw her nod stiffly. Kol watched as she made her way to the closest table on the sidewalk and took a seat. Only then he turned around and went on his way

Time to hunt.

_._._

It wasn't long before he was sitting himself in front of Angela, making her look up from the phone she was typing into. "Hey," she greeted him before finishing whatever it was she was writing and putting the phone down.

"Alright, darling, time for explanations," he told her. Luckily for her, her plan had worked and he was much calmer now. He was fed and had also managed to release some of the pent up anger.

"Okay," she nodded and took a deep breath. "So the coven took an interest in Bella. You see, the 'children' attended high school so they could keep appearances. The 'father' was – still is, I'm sure – a doctor and the 'mother'..." she paused and frowned. "I think she was an architect."

Kol nodded his head. On any other day he would make a snarky remark about a vampire doctor, but even he had heard tales of this particular vampire, the one who refused to feed on human blood. "Carlisle Cullen." She seemed surprise at his tidbit of information. He scoffed. "Give me some credit, darling. It's not always one hears rumors about vampires healing humans instead of eating them." Sure, his kind's blood could heal, but no one had ever made it a profession.

"When you put it this way..." She blinked her eyes and tilted her head. She shook her head and resumed talking. "The mind reader, Edward, was intrigued by Bella's silent mind and her blood."

"Her blood?"

"Yeah. It, apparently, calls to him like to him like no other."

Kol closed his eyes as he took this in. "His singer." He reopened his dark eyes and saw her looking at him curiously. "She's his singer. It means that she's the most mouthwatering human he'll ever meet. Her blood, in a way of speaking, sings to him." He leaned back against the chair and stared at the dark sky. He would end the boy if he ever came close to Isabella again. In fact, he might do it either way just to make sure the other would never be a threat.

Decision made, he returned his eyes to the witch and saw her regarding him nervously, her hands busy shredding a napkin to pieces. "There's more. And I'm not going to like it."

"There's no easy way to say it..."

Her hesitation was starting to annoy him. "Well, out with it."

"Edward has convinced himself that Bella is his mate, so—"

She was interrupted by the enraged growl that came out of his mouth, making her go white. Kol tried to get a hold of himself before he caused a scene (in his mind causing a scene equaled attention, which equaled his siblings discovering where he was, which equaled they coming after him, either to lecture him or to put him back in his coffin. Either way, he wanted them as far away from Washington as possible). It wouldn't do for him to accidentally murder the witch when she hadn't done anything against him (especially as her family was under his protection). No, his anger already had a target. And, if he hadn't justifiable enough reasons to kill the boy before, _this one_ was more than enough. He had not spent a millennium waiting for his mate to be born just so a little upstart could come and claim her.

Before he could open his mouth and demand more information, someone shouted Angela's name. The witch looked at some point over Kol's head and he could almost see her sagging in relief before grinning and standing up to hug the newcomer.

"Sorry for being late," she said, hugging the witch back. Something about that voice tugged at him on a most primal level. It completely ensnared him, and he could do nothing but observe this new arrival.

The first thing that caught his attention – aside from the long mahogany hair cascading down her back and her long, long legs – was her scent; she smelled of vanilla and roses and something that made him think of home. The second was that she seemed really close to the witch. The third was her voice, which he realized was the same as the murmur he heard the day before when he had called Angela. The last was Angela's reaction to seeing her; Kol was known for his psychopathic tendencies and he was angry, she shouldn't have relaxed at the appearance of someone unless...

Unless...

He felt his anger draining, being replaced by disbelief, as his mind made the connection.

The girls untangled themselves from one another, and he tore his eyes away from the perusal they were doing of those legs and looked up. His eyes made contact with brown ones and the breath got caught in his throat.

It wasn't love at first sight. But only because he was too jaded and bitter. He was sure that if this had happened when he was still human – or even during his first centuries as a vampire – he would have just fallen head over heels in love. As it was, he hadn't been allowed to dream of her to the point where his heart would belong solely to her – _yet_. Be as it may, Kol _had_ become captivated by Isabella and felt as if his whole world had just become tethered to her.

He was peripherally aware that Angela had chose this moment to leave.

And then there were two.

He stood up without being really aware of doing so and saw her extend her hand. Just before it could make contact with the skin of cheek, she hesitated and started to draw it off. She seemed unsure of the veracity of this moment. That wouldn't do; he needed the touch of that hand as much as she wanted to touch him. So he stepped forward, caught her hand in one of his own and pressed it to his cheek.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel as their connection snapped in place. For the first time in a thousand years, he felt _whole._ He also felt like purring, just like a contented cat.

"You're real."

The barely there whisper made him open his eyes, only to be greeted by the view of chocolate orbs filled with wonder. The "Isabella" that left his lips as he nuzzled her hand was a dark purr that, he was glad to see, caused her to shiver.

The next minutes passed in a blur; his only focus being the hand holding his, though Kol was peripherally aware she was dragging him somewhere. It didn't matter to him. She could lead him to hell and he would gladly follow. He only came back to himself once she let go of his hand and made her way to a close by bench. It seemed that she had led him to a park… fortunately for his soul (not that he gave a damn). Kol looked around. He could see a few people milling around, but all in all, they were in a quite secluded area.

He returned his eyes to her. "You know… if you wanted me to take you on a date, all you had to do was ask?" He felt a smirk forming on his lips.

She paused mid-step and turned to him. "Is that so?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. He nodded, amused. "Well, you were being too slow, so I decided to take matters into my own hands." The smirk that appeared on her lips was _dangerous_ , Kol decided. He may not have fallen in love (though he knew it was only a matter of time), but he had definitely fallen in lust.

"A woman who knows what she wants," he said, approaching her with measured steps – a predator stalking his prey. He circled her, coming to a stop behind her. He leaned forward until his mouth was level with her ear, all the while inhaling the sweet aroma she exuded. "I like it."

The words had barely left Kol's mouth before he suddenly felt soft lips pressed to his, and his arms were full of her and he was bringing her closer, until there was no space between them. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, Isabella's body molding perfectly against his. One of her hands entangled itself in his hair and pulled and _oh god_! He moaned and felt her tongue slipping inside his mouth, exploring, mapping every inch, before entangling with his own. It was a battle he easily won and so he returned the favor and plundered hers in return. He entangled his hand in the hair at the nape of her neck and tilted her head, opening his mouth wider to deepen the kiss. Her moan was like music to his ears.

He removed his lips form hers, allowing her to catch her breath, only to attach them to her neck. He kissed an nipped a path up and down her throat and hummed in approval when she tilted her head, allowing him more access.

Kol was drowning in her. Isabella was all he could touch, smell, taste and feel, and it was heaven and hell and _home_.

"Kol," she moaned and tugged his hair again, eliciting a growl from him. Honestly, it was all he could do to not take her then and there. Fortunately for her, he had more self-control than that.

Reluctantly, he tore himself away from her and took a deep breath to try and calm down, only to be assaulted by the heady smell of her arousal. He groaned. This woman was going to be the death of him.

"Something wrong?"

He looked at her – flushed face, swollen lips, disheveled hair, heavy-lidded eyes – searched himself for every ounce of self-control he possessed and turned around, heading to the forgotten bench, then sat down. "Nothing wrong, _Svanunge_. But I don't think you would appreciate me having my way with you where anyone can see it."

"Sounds tempting. Pity you haven't even asked me on a date yet." Kol looked at her. She had crossed her arms and was pouting now.

"I thought you had taken matters into your own hands," he said, brow raised. He observed as Isabella sashayed her way to him, stopping a few inches away. She leaned toward him, and he couldn't stop his eyes from straying, as the new angle gave him an amazing view of her bosom.

"I suppose I did." She captured his bottom lip between her teeth, but, before he could do anything, she let go and sat beside him.

 _Minx_ , even as he thought it, his arm was already wrapped around her, bringing her closer.

They stayed silent for a while, just appreciating being together. He could feel his as whole being resonated with her.

But Kol was never one to stay quiet, so he started talking. He told her about his life; the things he did and experienced. He knew she already knew how it went, but he still wanted to explain everything – the costumes and why he did certain things. They being from different times and cultures, he was sure lots of things could be misunderstood. And Kol wanted to make sure Isabella _understood_ , even if she didn't approve. So he talked.

He told her about his family, the village they lived in, the werewolves that were their neighbors, some traditions, and magic. The latter being his favorite subject and the one he was most enthusiastic about. Seeing as Isabella was an avid listener and asked questions left, right and center, Kol became even more animated. Then he told her about Henrik's death and being killed by his father, only to wake up as a vampire and discover he lost his magic.

Kol paused and closed his eyes at this point. He had been devastated. He had been a servant of nature who had been blessed by the gods. Then he had woken up and realized that a part of himself had been missing and he would never have it back. As soon as he had realized what his parents had done, he had also been terrified. How great had his relief been when, the moment he had found himself alone, he had rolled his sleeve and seen the name still inked on his arm. He had basically sagged with it.

He was brought back to the present by the feel of a hand caressing his face. He opened his eyes and stared into worried axinite ones.

"Maybe we should continue this later," she suggested. Kol found himself at a loss of words. How long had it been since someone genuinely worried about him? No fear, no apprehension, no nothing that would taint the emotion, _just_ worry? "Come on, it's getting late. I need to get back home and I'm using you as my bodyguard." She stood up and proceeded to drag him along with her. Again.

She was trying to distract him, he realized. To make sure he didn't dwell in dark thoughts. He found it quite endearing, as no one had really bothered before. He was right, it was only a matter of time until he fell for her.

"Using me, are you? What if I don't allow you to?" He stopped and used their linked hands to pull her to him. She crashed into him, and he wrapped his free arm around her to make sure she wouldn't fall. It hadn't even been a day since he met her and already he couldn't stand the thought of her anywhere but by his side. It would have been ridiculous if he hadn't been waiting for this moment for a thousand years.

"Then I'll have to go back home by my lonesome," she said a little breathless from the impact. "And it's just so dangerous for a woman to be walking alone at this hour. What if anything happened?"

He hummed at that, amused by their banter. "I suppose I could escort you then, _min Svanunge_. I _am_ a gentleman, after all."

* * *

*According to Wikipedia, _Úlfhéðnar_ (singular Úlfheðinn (wolf coated [man])), was a term associated with berserkers. They are mentioned in the _Vatnsdæla saga_ , _Haraldskvæði_ and the _Völsunga saga_ , and were said to wear the pelt of a wolf when they entered battle. Úlfhéðnar are sometimes described as Odin's special warriors: "[Odin's] men went without their mailcoats and were mad as hounds or wolves, bit their shields...they slew men, but neither fire nor iron had effect upon them. This is called 'going berserk.'"

Berserkers (or berserks) were Norse warriors who are primarily reported in the Old Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury.

I thought it fitting for Kol to call Klaus this way for the following reasons: (1) they are of Viking descent (except Klaus, but he was raised in their ways, so…); (2) Klaus' wolf side naturally makes him an angry person; (3) when you add upon that his vampiric side, which enhances his emotions and makes him immortal, you have an indestructible ball of fury.

* * *

Part 2 will be up on the 14th.


	2. Chapter 2

Happy Valentine, guys and girls! As promised, part 2.

* * *

 ** _Chapter 2_**

 ** _Her_**

Bella woke up suddenly, hand still extended, as if reaching for something – or, rather, some _one_. She had dreamt about _him_ again, like she had done every night for the last five years: her dark-haired vampire.

She looked outside the window and sighed. The weather mirrored her current mood to a T. The longing she felt when she woke up always made her miserable. Though not as miserable as when she had visions of him while she was awake; those were the ones that hurt the most for showing her what a possible life with him could be. Sometimes, she would be looking around, and something would capture her attention and trigger said visions. They showed her a life that seemed farther away with each passing day – what with how his siblings conspired to lock him up for decades on end whenever it struck their fancy. With the way things were, she would be old and wrinkly before Kol found her.

Oh, she knew he would find her, no matter how long it took. It may sound cliché, but they _were_ destined to one another. Kol was the one she would find at the other end of her red string, and she would accept no one else. No matter how long she had to wait for him.

(Why settle for lackluster romances when she had the promise of everlasting love?)

Turning away from the dreary view, she started to gather her things so she could ready herself for the day ahead.

It was her first day in Forks (technically, the second, seeing as she had arrived the day before. But today she would interact with the townspeople for the first time). Bella took a fortifying breath at the thought. Don't get her wrong, Bella loved her dad and was ecstatic at the opportunity to spend some quality time with him – their time together had never been enough to bond properly, and she was looking forward to it – but damn it if she wouldn't have been happier if she never had to set a foot in Forks ever again. It was too wet and cold and she had started missing the warmth as soon as she set foot on the plane.

Before long, she was making her way outside to her truck. _Forks High, here I come._ And if her thoughts were colored by a great deal of sarcasm, she chose to ignore it.

_._._

If there was one thing Bella hated more than the cold, it was being the center of attention. Now, being the new girl in a small town – not only that, but also the Chief's daughter – guaranteed the latter, while taking residence in the rainiest town in the US guaranteed the first, which meant that, by the time lunch rolled around, Bella was in quite the foul mood. That the girl that was leading the way to the cafeteria wouldn't shut up just made things worse. At least, there was one person that Bella felt she could be friends with, a shy girl by the name of Angela.

When the group of five vampires entered the room, Bella's first thought was _'fuck!'_ , followed by – once she realized they weren't attacking, nor did they have any intention of taking a bite out of anyone – _'what the hell are they doing here?'_. The _here_ in question referring, of course, to the high school. Millions of people trying to get out or stay away from said institutions, and there was a coven that thought torturing themselves with things they surely had already learnt while being surrounded by their version of hamburger was the way to go.

She observed them; their eyes were dark and the skin under them was purplish, as if bruised. _Double fuck!_ They were _thirsty_! What were they doing inside a building full of humans while thirsty? Were they tempting themselves, seeing who could last longer before one of them slipped and started a blood bath?

While she was having her panic attack, the blond boy – man – turned to look at her, curiosity filling his gaze. Bella held it. If there was one thing her dreams had taught her about vampires, no matter which kind, was that they were predators, and that you should never _ever_ act like prey around them unless you wanted to become dinner. So she steeled herself, ignored her shyness and fixed him with her most unimpressed stare. She refused to be cowed.

Of course, acting outside the norm (every instinct inside of her was telling her to submit and stay away) was also a foolproof way to gather their attention, as evidenced by the way the corner of his lips tilted up, catching the others' interest. Bella suddenly found herself the focus of another four pairs of dark orbs. Still, she refused to let her eyes stray, no matter how uncomfortable it was to feel their gazes on her. After a few more minutes like this – in which her whole table had fallen silent once everyone realized she and one of the pale 'kids' were having a stare down – she saw blondie's eyes fill with amusement and she narrowed her own. She knew he could spend all day like that and not feel bothered, his kind excelling in stillness. Nevertheless, Bella was a stubborn bitch and would play this game as long as she was able.

She saw his lips move – too fast for her to pick up any word – and knew he was communicating with the others. She wondered if any of them had any gifts; it would certainly explain why he had looked at her when he had been so uninterested before.

As one, the vampires around him stood up, and he blinked and looked away so he could leave with the rest. Instead of feeling victorious, Bella was miffed that their 'match' had been interrupted.

She turned to the people sat at her table and felt blood rush to her cheeks at the way they were staring at her. She had inadvertently drawn everyone's attention to her. _Great_ … Not! Thankfully, Angela was kind enough to offer to accompany her to Biology II. They walked in silence, with Angela sporting an amused smile on her face and Bella burning with mortification.

Biology turned out to be a clusterfuck. Bella realized as soon as Edward went rigid that something was _wrong_. He hadn't reacted in any way to the other students, but as soon as she set foot inside the classroom, he became as stiff as a marble statue, and she knew he was holding himself back with everything he had; Volturi had the one law about exposure, it wouldn't do to leave witnesses if he decided to go for her. And wonder of wonders, the only available seat was beside him. _Fuck my life_.

In comparison to that, P.E. was not as bad as it could possibly be.

_._._

A week passed before Bella saw Edward again. A week of distracting herself from her misery by playing games with blondie – Jasper, she had learnt his name was – and now Edward was back and acting _friendly_. She was immediately suspicious. When he started asking questions about her life, her paranoia grew. He was not just being friendly, he was _interested_ in her. _Not good_. His comment about her suffering more than she let others know just soured her mood even further; she hated being an open book.

She was grateful, though, by his fixation when he saved her from being crushed.

"Bella, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she responded automatically. Inside, she was panicking. She had almost died. Before meeting Kol. She was so distressed she didn't even react when the school nurse started to check her for any damage, nor when they put a neck brace on her and loaded her onto an ambulance.

At the hospital, she finally met the infamous Carlisle Cullen; Kol had heard of him during his travels: the vampire doctor, who healed humans instead of eating them. Bella would never be ashamed to admit that she had ogled him. Quite a lot, in fact. The doctor was spun gold perfection. It was as if Apollo himself had deigned to grace the mortals with his presence. Bella felt her cheeks warm and just knew she had developed a crush on the immortal physician.

And by the way he raised an eyebrow, and the smidgen of resignation that entered his eyes and tinged his smile, he had realized it too.

Overcome by embarrassment, she averted her eyes. "Sorry." Internally, she was berating herself; she didn't need a sun god when she was already destined to a trickster. Thankfully, he let it slide with only a chuckle. Soon enough, she was cleared to go.

Edward accompanied her all the way to the waiting room, observing her as if waiting for something. When she remained quiet, he relaxed.

_._._

Things, of course, changed after the accident. Whenever Bella 'played' with Jasper, he would have this calculating glint in his eyes, as if wondering the best way to get rid of her. She wouldn't be surprised if he was; Edward _had_ exposed them, after all. Sometimes, she thought that the only reason the blond vampire hadn't done anything to her was because she had never said anything that might hint she knew what they were. Bella knew that the moment they suspected she was aware would be the end of her. So she kept quiet and kept her interactions with the coven down to her staring matches and suffering Edward in Biology.

For some reason, her actions seemed to baffle the pixie-like vampire; she would oftentimes send this confused look Bella's way.

But honestly, Edward was a bit annoying with his hot and cold attitude; saying they shouldn't be friends – it wasn't as if she was even trying! – but never leaving her alone. Ironically enough, the one vampire she felt like interacting with was the one plotting her murder. Maybe it was because the barely contained violence she could feel from him reminded her greatly of Kol. Anyway, when she finally realized that her bedroom's window had been tampered with (they used to stuck because of disuse. Now they opened effortlessly, and she knew Charlie had _not_ been the one to oil it), that sense of familiarity led her to seek him out one day.

"Hale," she called, causing him, Rosalie and Emmett to pause in their path and turn around. Bella ignored the blonde beauty's glare and the hulking brunet's curiosity; she was too busy staring into Jasper's eyes. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He raised an eyebrow, but nodded in acquiescence, gesturing with one arm for her to lead the way. She turned and started to walk, her strained hearing catching the barely there sound of his footsteps as he fell in line with her. She didn't go far, there was no point in it; she knew the others would be listening – she just had to keep the pretense of wanting a bit of privacy.

She faced him. "Tell your _brother_ to keep the fuck away from my house."

He seemed caught off guard by her bluntness (or maybe it was the swearing? People had the habit of judging her as a _goody-two-shoes_ ), but recovered fast and was now studying her. "What makes you think Emmett has come close to your house?" She narrowed her eyes in anger. Was the fucker playing with her? She knew he knew who she was talking about, so she kept her silence and continued to glare murder at him. It seemed to amuse him, if the way the corner of his lips lifted a little. "Ah, wrong brother then? Okay, what makes you think _Edward_ has been to your house? From what I see you can barely tolerate him."

"And that's why I'm asking you to keep him away." She crossed her arms. Seeing as he seemed to be entertained by her reactions, she decided to change tactics; if asking nicely wouldn't do, she would try for manipulation. Nothing overt, of course, the vampire had years of experience on her, he would see it coming miles away. But maybe if she appealed to his pride… "Are you telling me you can't do it?" She channeled Kol, doing her best to sound every bit as condescending as the Original was capable of. It seemed to get a result, as golden eyes narrowed. "Surely, as his elder brother, you're capable of keeping him in line?" She let her lips twist in a patronizing smile, watching as annoyance flashed in Jasper's eyes at her demeaning tone.

He hid it, though, flashing her a charming smile, cold eyes trying to stare her down. "I'll see what can be done."

"Much appreciated." The smile she sent his way was all teeth, and she could see respect emerging in his eyes. Looked like she had impressed him.

From that day forth, her interactions with the Cullens more or less changed. Edward would still try to befriend her while at the same time warning her against it, all the while giving her these lost puppy looks, as if expecting her to fall for his charms; Emmett and Rosalie still kept their distance, though they seemed to regard her with curiosity; Alice seemed to take advantage of the fact Jasper and her were sort of friends and tried to befriend her as well; and Jasper would sometimes walk her to classes, though he never spoke with her.

Until the day he decided to.

"You don't mind my presence." She turned to him; he was regarding her with thoughtfulness. She raised an eyebrow in inquiry at his non-sequitur. "You're not scared like the others," he elaborated. "In fact, it seems to soothe you whenever I'm near you." He looked at her puzzled.

Bella chuckled, because wasn't that the truth? She sent the blond a fond look and watched him startle at that. It was amusing to see the most dangerous being currently in town looking lost because of her. "You remind me of someone."

"Ah… how so?"

"It's the way you hold yourself, restraining yourself even though you know you're the most deadly being in town."

He ground to a stop, and she turned to look at him. He was still – unnaturally so – and she wondered if she had said too much. She remained unflinching as those dangerous eyes bored into hers. Whatever he was searching for, he seemed to have found it, because he blinked, and it was like a statue coming to life – going from stillness from fluidity in the blink of an eye. "I see." And they resumed their walk.

A few weeks later, he spoke again. "Edward likes you."

Her mood instantly soured. "I noticed." It was hard not to.

Jasper chuckled. She turned to him; he was watching her speculatively. She wondered what he was thinking about, but didn't ask. If he wanted, he would tell her.

He told her the following day. "He's convinced you're his one true love."

"What?" She gaped. She _must_ have heard it wrong. Of all the ridiculous things…

"I know. Utterly ridiculous," he told her. She was glad he saw things her way. "There's no way you're his soulmate" – _Definitely_ _ **not**_ _!_ – "with the way you can barely stand him. But when I told him that, he said I didn't know anything," his lips curled in the mockery of a smile, "that it was just a phase, and that soon enough you would fall for him."

Bella paused. That… sounded very much like a warning. She stared into serious tawny eyes and felt herself blanch at the implications. Edward thought she was his _mate_. Her… _Edward_ 's mate! The very thought made her sick. Not because it was Edward – well, maybe just a little – but because someone thought she would be destined to anyone that was not _Kol_. She was suddenly _so fucking grateful_ for Carlisle's humanitarian ways. Usually, this kind of vampires claimed their mates as soon as they were found, and if they were human – which was really, _really_ rare – changed them so they could be properly claimed. Edward being a childe of Carlisle's just saved her life. He would proceed with caution, the _human_ way. Now, she just had to watch out for a lovesick fool who would stop at nothing until he had her.

 _Joy_.

It was only when she felt the cold hand on her back steadying her that Bella realized that the world was spinning as she was having a panic attack. Then she was feeling calm forcing its way through her, and she finally took in a deep breath. She kept on doing it until the world came back on focus. In that single moment, fueled by adrenaline as she was, she realized that Jasper's gift was to feel and control emotions. No wonder he was so irritated at Edward's dismissal – how could someone like Jasper _not know_ anything about how a person feels? The very thought was preposterous! She did her best to send him all the amount of gratefulness she could scrap and was rewarded with surprise followed by resigned fondness.

"Now why would he think that?" Her voice came out shaky. She ran a hand through her hair and focused on the presence beside her. It was startling grounding. He shrugged in response, and she scoffed. Probably someone in the family had a gift and Edward had read it in their mind (he certainly alluded a lot about his gift) and convinced himself. She continued talking, relieved that he was willing to distract her. Distractions were good. Distractions were _great_! "Besides, if I were to go for any of you, it would be the Doc."

"Ah, yes. Your little crush." There was amusement in his voice, and Bella flushed in spite of herself, though she kept her head high. She _refused_ to feel ashamed of her emotions. He chuckled. "Does it mean that you wouldn't go for _me_?"

Bella paused and looked at him; his eyes were twinkling with mischief. She decided to play his game, looking him up and down in an appraising manner, for the first time allowing herself to _notice_ him. Just like everyone else of his kind, he was ridiculously attractive, even if he didn't seem as ethereal to her as the others. There was _something_ that marred his perfection, and to her, that made him even more appealing. That was, of course, without taking the danger he emanated in consideration – _that_ was flame to her moth and the thing she liked the most about him. She returned her eyes to expecting gold and hummed.

He raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Why don't you tell me?" She smirked and turned to walk away. He was an empath; she didn't need to spell it out for him.

_._._

She knocked on the door of the two-story house before her courage left her. Theoretically, she knew they would help her, if only because of their loyalty to _him_ , but it didn't mean that she was any less nervous about it. Thankfully, it opened before she chickened out and made a run for it.

"Bella?" Angela greeted her, no doubt bewildered by her sudden appearance. She tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace, and the taller girl was now looking at her with worry. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk."

Angela nodded and led her inside, to the living room. She was too nervous to pay attention to the details, just knowing there was a couch because that was where her host sat with her.

"Alright, what's wrong?" She repeated her question, and Bella was suddenly at a loss. After a moment of not knowing what to say, she decided bluntness would have to do.

"What do you know about Kol Mikaelson?"

Angela's reaction was quite interesting; she blanched and her eyes widened, then narrowed again as she focused on Bella with an intensity the Swan was not used to seeing on the other girl. "Why are you asking?"

"Because she is _his_ Isabella." Bella swirled around in her seat, caught off guard; in her anxiousness, she hadn't noticed anyone else. There, leaning against the threshold that led to the kitchen was a smaller, older version of Angela. "Am I right?" Mrs. Weber asked with a raised eyebrow. In response, Bella removed the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing, revealing the tank top that was underneath, then removed the bandages she wrapped religiously around her upper left arm every day; slowly, the inked letters were revealed, a bracelet-like chain of runes. Younger Futhark. _Kol Mikaelson_.

There were twin sharp inhales; Bella looked up. Angela was looking at her mark fascinated, while Mrs. Weber had closed her eyes and looked to be in pain.

"I _knew_ it," she muttered. She was, then, a flurry of motion, collecting things left, right and center. Bella thought it was quite weird to see the Minister's wife gathering witchcraft ingredients. "We need to contact him."

"We can't," she shook her head. Mrs. Weber stilled while Angela looked at her incredulously.

"Bella, our family has a deal with him; we _must_ tell him," she tried to explain.

"I _know_!" Bella ran a hand through her hair, feeling frustrated. She, more than anyone else, wanted Kol to know about her – wanted to meet him. "But we can't."

"Why not?" Mrs. Weber's eyes told her that she had better have a very good explanation for it.

"He's daggered. Has been since 1914."

The curses that left the older woman's lips would have made her blush if she hadn't heard worse in her dreams. As it was, it still ranked up there amongst the most impressive. When she turned toward Bella, only the knowledge that no harm would come to her from the woman kept the Swan from cowering.

"How do you know?"

"I…" Bella hesitated. It was personal; a part of her didn't want anyone to know. But Mrs. Weber gestured impatiently with an arm for her to get on with it. "I dream of him."

Mrs. Weber stared at her for a long while, studying her. At last, she spoke. "That's how you knew about Angela," she correctly assumed. Bella was just glad she didn't press her about the dreams.

Bella nodded. "She has Angelina's eyes." She chanced a glance at Mrs. Weber's own caramel orbs. "You too."

"I see."

"That's not the only reason you came to us, is it?" Angela inquired with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Edward's getting persistent."

Bella grimaced at the reminder. Some days, it seemed as if he was always there whenever she turned around. It was both creeping and annoying her. "He thinks I'm his mate."

Angela frowned and went to grab some old tomes from the bookcase – _grimoires_ , Bella's mind told her – and brought them to the coffee table. "There must be something we can do to keep him away," she said as she leafed through one book.

"Keeping him from entering my home would be an awesome start." At the twin gazes directed her way, demanding explanations, she elaborated. "I'm pretty sure he has broken into my room while I was sleeping." She pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "I managed to talk Jasper into keeping an eye on him, but a permanent solution would be much appreciated."

"I'm sure there's something we can do," Mrs. Weber was frowning darkly at the table, and, if it were any other situation, Bella may have felt pity for the Cullens (Edward, for his behavior; and the others, for allowing it). As it stood, she felt nothing but vindicated.

" _Thank you_."

_._._

After that day, Bella and Angela became inseparable. Not only did they discover they had lots of things in common, but Bella demonstrated a lot of interest in witchcraft, even if she couldn't practice it. So, in between homework and babysitting Angela's brothers, they would share what they knew. They both found it was quite relieving to have someone to share their secrets.

This new dynamics had also altered Bella's interactions with the Cullens somewhat; Emmett and Rosalie continued to stare curiously, sometimes accompanying Jasper whenever he escorted her – and Angela, when they were heading to the same classes – but still maintaining their distance; Alice redoubled her attempts at friendship and would throw the witch resentful looks when she thought no one was looking; Edward tried to be polite about it, but it was clear that he was put out by Angela's constant presence; Jasper, bless his soul, acted as if nothing had changed, including Angela in their little chats as if it was the most natural thing.

Bella was grateful for the blond's thoughtfulness and made sure he knew it by, one day, passing him a note.

 _Thank you for being awesome._

She had, once again, been rewarded with resigned fondness, much to her delight.

Of course, the highlight of the year had been when the Webers discovered a protection spell that made it impossible for any non-human being to enter a home unless invited. The best part? They had to be invited _every time_. Edward's reaction the day after it was cast was pure gold; he stayed by his coven with a sulky expression, like a petulant child who was denied something he wanted. His coven mates appeared to be quite amused by it.

But even she knew that her actions had consequences, and the thought of Edward not being human was never far from her mind. That was why she wasn't really surprised when she found the note Jasper had slipped in her jacket's pocket.

 _Make sure to never be alone when out of your house._

She had, of course, shown it to Angela; she was, after all, Bella's bet shot if she wanted to live to see Kol someday. Jasper was a dear friend, but she doubted he would go against his own coven if they decided to take overt actions. Nope, the Weber witches were her only allies. They being a delight to be around was just a bonus. With time, Bella had come to see them as a part of her family.

And that was how her years in Forks High School passed: with Edward making a nuisance of himself by trying to court her (thankfully never being able to do anything flashy due to Angela's constant presence); Alice being slightly less annoying in her attempts of friendship (honestly, Bella thought they could've been great friends if only the pixie would stop trying to make her into a living doll. Bella was fine just the way she was). It was a pity the other three had been pretending to be seniors when she arrived and graduated before long. Emmett, they had been delightfully surprised to find out, was a sweetheart; Rosalie was as haughty as she demonstrated herself to be and usually kept her distance, but the few times she had interacted with them showed she was quite thoughtful; and Jasper was… well, he was Jasper.

And well, compared to vampires, humans tend to not be of much notice, but during those years Angela did date one of their classmates, Ben Cheney.

They had also realized that La Push was home to one of the protectors' tribes, being chosen by a wolf spirit. And that's when the both of them decided that there was too much supernatural in their lives and bailed. Thankfully, the both of them had been admitted by the UPenn, and so packed their bags and left without looking back.

_._._

Six years passed. They had just graduated and were taking the time to visit their families now that they had the time. A couple days ago, Bella had felt something inside of her shift. It was as if suddenly the world had gained more color, or as if a weight had been lifted from her, and she found she could now breathe easier as well. She didn't know how to explain it other than to say that someone had breathed life in her. The visions were triggered more frequently now too. She was sat in a bench in a park in Seattle, looking at the lovely image a mirage of Kol leaning against a tree with his arms around a mirage of her made.

"Bella?"

She blinked and the illusion disappeared. She turned her head and saw Angela with a concerned look on her face. "I…" She chanced a look to the tree before returning her gaze to caramel orbs. "Something has changed."

"Do you think…?" Angela bit her lip. Bella tried to not let herself hope. But it did sound like the most plausible explanation as to why the world seemed abruptly more colorful to her. The witch sat beside her and fished a pen and paper out of her bag and started to write. "Come here," she said and crumpled the paper she was holding. Bella leaned toward her, helping Angela hide what she was doing. Angela closed her eyes and murmured a chant. When she opened her eyes, the paper was gone in smokes. The witch smiled. "It worked!"

Bella's breath caught in her throat. She opened her mouth, but something in her shifted again. Suddenly, she _knew_ that Kol was – she grabbed the compass she carried around for whenever Angela needed it – somewhere southeast of her current location. She was just about to tell Angela when the witch's phone rang.

_._._

Waiting for the next day to come had never been more tortuous. Bella had spent the time counting the minutes and driving Angela crazy.

She was inside a bookstore, trying to decide if she should buy more books or not, when she received Angela's message, telling her to go to a little café they frequented from time to time. Bella almost dropped the book she was holding as the air left her lungs. She would finally meet Kol. She would _finally_ meet _Kol_!

 _What the hell do I do?!_

But even as she panicked, she was making her way outside and towards her destination. There was no force in this world that would stop her going to him – least of all herself.

It didn't take her long to get to the place and, as she approached, Bella saw a man with his back towards her sitting at the same table as Angela. Noting her friend's tense posture, she surmised that the witch had shared something that the Original hadn't liked and was now waiting to be rebuked.

"Angela!" She called out, deciding to focus on her friend's well-being for the moment. Seeing the witch sagging in relief, Bella tried to suppress the part of her that told her she was just guarantying Ang's survival _now_ so her first encounter with Kol would go uninterrupted. "Sorry for being late," she hugged the other woman, choosing to disregard _him_ for the moment, even as she felt the weight of _his_ eyes on her.

Angela's arms tightened around her for a brief moment, and she drew strength from them before disentangling herself and turning around just in time to see his eyes turning away from her legs (funny… she would had never pegged him as a leg man…).

And then their eyes met.

The dreams she had didn't do him justice. Had his hair always looked that soft? Had his beautiful brown eyes always been that deep? Bella took him in with hungry eyes, engraving every feature in her memory, so she could remember him forever.

She raised her hand so she could trace the contours of his jaw, but hesitated a hair's breadth away from touching him, heart beating furiously in her chest. The view in front of her was just too perfect to be real. What if the Kol in front of her was just another mirage conjured by their bond, and her fingers would go through his fading image? She was sure the disappointment would kill her!

Hence why feeling his hand on hers as he brought it to his cheek was overwhelming. "You're real," she whispered as the feeling of contentness and wholeness and _unconditional love_ filled her.

"Isabella," Kol practically purred her name. Hearing _her_ name coming out of his lips…

Bella took in a deep breath, trying to get in control of herself. This was not the place – nor the occasion – to be causing a scene, so launching herself at him was _definitely_ out of question. They needed a place where they could have some measure of privacy; and she needed air to keep her head clear. So she dragged him to a park, all the while relishing the warmness of his hand in hers.

It didn't take long for them to reach her intended destination, and seeing as it was already getting late, there weren't many people around. She dropped his hand and made her way to a close by bench, only to stop mid-step at his words.

"You know… if you wanted me to take you on a date, all you had to do was ask?"

She turned to him and considered him, eyebrow raised. "Is that so?" At his nod, she felt a smirk pulling at her lips. If Kol wanted to play a game, who was Bella to deny him? "Well," she deliberated, "you were being too slow, so I decided to take matters into my own hands."

He moved toward her, and she could only compare it to a panther stalking his prey. When his breath caressed her skin as he leaned to whisper in her ear, the heat spreading through her body would have her acting in no other way than whirling around and pressing her lips to his.

Kol's response was immediate; even as she wrapped her arms around his neck, his arms were wound around her – no gaps between their bodies. Bella's entire universe realigned in that instant. _This_ was what she had been waiting for all her life; the sinuous movement of his mouth against hers, the pressing of bodies, all of her senses in overdrive… It was heaven and hell. But, more importantly, it was _them_. And because it was them, it was _perfect_.

She returned to reality once his lips left her skin. A groan bringing her attention to him. "Something wrong?" She took in his disheveled appearance and tense posture, smugness shooting up through her. _She_ had been the one to unravel him (she stubbornly ignored the voice in her head that pointed out that he had undone her just as easily).

His dark, _dark_ eyes stared at her for a few minutes before she saw him visibly restraining himself – Bella doubted Kol was aware of the protruding veins under his eyes. He turned around and headed to the previously forgotten bench. "Nothing wrong, _Svanunge_. But I don't think you would appreciate me having my way with you where anyone can see it." And he sat down.

Bella crossed her arms and bit the inside of her cheek in an attempt to remind herself that no, she couldn't – shouldn't – have their first meeting happening that way, no matter how enticing the idea was. "Sounds tempting. Pity you haven't even asked me on a date yet."

"I thought you had taken matters into your own hands," Kol's gaze weighed on her, and she wondered how far she could push the desire that was _oh so clear_ in those darkened axinites.

So she made her way to him and leaned forward. His eyes strayed, just like she knew they would. "I suppose I did," his eyes flickered briefly back to hers as she bit his bottom lip. She released it before he could react, reminding herself that _n_ _ow is **not** the time_ , and sat down beside him. There was satisfaction in how he automatically wrapped his arm around her, as if had done it a thousand times before, and brought her closer, hand caressing every part of her it could reach.

They stayed like that for a while, just basking in their closeness.

But Kol was never one to remain quiet; the treatment his family had given him coupled with his natural exuberance made sure of that. So Bella wasn't surprised when he started talking. He spoke about many things: his family, his experiences, the different cultures, magic (the one subject he was most enthusiastic about)… but most of all, he _taught_ her. He taught her why some things had to be done a certain way when dealing with a certain person, why one had to respond this way to that offense, and so on.

Sure, Bella knew she wouldn't learn it all in one go. She also knew she wouldn't like some of the reasons and justifications. But Kol was making sure she would _understand_ it all, even if she didn't like it. That he would take the time to explain everything was something that endeared him to her even more. She could appreciate his honesty, even if she didn't approve of his methods.

But, most of all, she knew his past was a minefield of bad memories. So when he trailed off, closing his eyes, with a pained look on his face, she didn't hesitate to bring him out of it. Bad recollections weren't something they should dwell on for now; they would have forever to overcome them. She brought a hand to his face, caressing his cheek. Kol opened his eyes. The pain in them was enough to make Bella want to cry.

"Maybe we should continue this later," she suggested. Anything to get rid of the hurt in those beautiful orbs. Though he looking lost wasn't any better. Kindness and concern for his person shouldn't have sounded so alien to him. She pushed the hatred she felt for the other Mikaelsons from her mind; now wasn't the time (that seemed to be the night's mantra). "Come on, it's getting late." She stood up and dragged him with her. "I need to get back home and I'm using you as my bodyguard."

"Using me, are you?" He pulled her back to him. There was laughter in his voice. Bella felt satisfied she was able to lift his mood. Distractions were _great_! "What if I don't allow you to?"

"Then I'll have to go back home by my lonesome." Bella was a little breathless, both from the impact and the sensation of his arms around her, keeping her in place. Honestly, there was no other place that she would rather be. Here with him was where she belonged. She wrapped her arms around his neck and played absentmindedly with his hair. "And it's just so dangerous for a woman to be walking alone at this hour. What if anything happened?"

"I suppose I could escort you then, _min Svanunge_. I _am_ a gentleman, after all."

And he was all hers.

* * *

This part was supposed to end when their eyes met. But I thought it didn't look very romantic for a Valentine's post, so I carried on and plowed through this. And so you have the whole meeting from Bella's POV. Feel very loved, y'all, this was hard!

As of now, this fic is considered complete. Maybe I'll return to it someday, but I make no promises. I did have some ideas, after all, about how to deal with the... shall we say... inconveniences. But doing that while focusing on a pairing is something I'm having difficulties with.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Until next time.


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